a fond gaston

What a fond gaston does

A Fond Gaston is a French designer and retailer of electric bicycle conversion kits, founded in 2018 by Antoine Galonnier and headquartered in Villeurbanne (Lyon metropolitan area). The company's product range is structured around three motors — a 40N.m hub motor for urban and road use, a 65N.m hub motor for VTC and tandem use, and an 80N.m mid-drive motor with an integrated torque sensor for mountain bikes and cargo bikes — paired with three battery options (250Wh, 470Wh, 630Wh). All kits comply with French VAE regulations (250W nominal, 25 km/h cutoff, pedal-assist only) and hold CE and EN15194 conformity attestations. The kits add between 3.7kg and 6.8kg to the donor bicycle, are designed with non-proprietary connectors, and carry a 10-year spare parts availability guarantee that the company states is unique in the French market.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce at afondgaston.fr with a nationwide network of more than 100 certified dealers and installers across France. Customers can self-install using a dedicated tool pack and phone support, or have the kit professionally mounted by a certified workshop. Revenue is generated through one-time kit sales (€500-€1,000), accessory sales (batteries, racks, displays, covers, chargers), and a kit-transfer service for customers moving a kit to a new bicycle. A secondary 'kit sans batterie' (€550) targets repeat buyers electrifying a second bicycle with an existing battery.

A Fond Gaston is an independent, founder-owned SARL with €25,000 of share capital, no disclosed external investment or parent entity, and a lean operating team of 1-10 employees. The customer base consists of individual urban commuters, cargo bike users, mountain bikers, road cyclists, and budget-conscious consumers seeking an alternative to purchasing a new electric bicycle at €2,000+. The brand has received coverage in major French outlets including Les Echos, Le Figaro, BFM Business, France 5, France Inter, and holds a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating.

Name

a fond gaston

Legal name

A FOND GASTON

Website

https://afondgaston.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A Fond Gaston designs and sells electric bicycle conversion kits (40-80N.m motors, 250-630Wh batteries) directly to French consumers and through 100+ certified dealers, enabling riders to electrify existing bikes for €500-€1,000 instead of buying a new e-bike.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Bicycle Conversion Kits

NAICS

Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing (336991)

SIC

Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts (3751)

akta.pro primary industry

E-bikes & E-cargo Bikes Manufacturing (IMACAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH)

Keywords

• Electric bike conversion
• E-bike kits
• Bicycle electrification
• VAE retrofit
• E-bike components

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electric Bike Conversion Kits: Sale of complete conversion kits including motor wheel/mid-drive motor, battery, controller, LCD screen, wiring, and pedaling detector. Kits range from entry-level URBAIN to premium PRO+ with various motor and battery options.
2. Spare Parts and Accessories: Sale of replacement batteries (Bouteille 210Wh-250Wh, Polly 470Wh-630Wh), battery covers, racks, lights, chargers, and mounting tools. 10-year spare parts availability.
3. Second Bike Kit (No Battery): Sale of kits without battery for customers who already own a kit and want to equip a second bike, using their existing battery and charger. Price starting at 550€.
4. Kit Transfer Services: Transfer of existing kit to a new bicycle, with pricing based on wheel size change and motor type requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

A Fond Gaston designs, assembles, and sells modular electric bicycle conversion kits — including motors, batteries, controllers, and displays — that retrofit standard bicycles into VAE-compliant pedal-assist e-bikes. The company complements its hardware range with accessories, spare parts, a 10-year spare parts guarantee, and a kit-transfer service, supported by a nationwide certified workshop installer network in France.

Product overview

A Fond Gaston offers a simplified range of three electric bike conversion kits to transform regular bicycles into electric bikes. The product line centers on three motor options (40N.m hub motor for urban/road use, 65N.m hub motor for versatile/vTC/tandem use, and 80N.m mid-drive motor for mountain/cargo bikes) paired with three battery choices (250Wh bottle battery, 470Wh Polly, and 630Wh Polly). Kits are available as complete packages with battery or as standalone motor kits without battery for existing customers. The ecosystem includes accessories like protective covers, integrated lights, rear racks, display screens, and mounting tools. The company operates through a network of 100+ certified installation partners across France, with DIY installation also supported. All kits include a 2-year warranty and the company guarantees spare parts availability for 10 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moteur Roue 40 N.m (Hub Motor)
• Moteur Roue 65 N.m (Hub Motor) 65 N.m hub motor providing stronger pedal-assist torque for hilly terrain, longer commutes, and heavier cargo or rider loads.
• Moteur Pédalier 80 N.m (Mid-Drive Motor) 80 N.m mid-drive (crank) motor with integrated torque sensor, offering pedal-assist power that scales with rider effort for high-performance riding, sport use, and steep climbs.
• Batterie Bouteille 250 Wh Compact 250 Wh 'bottle' frame-mounted battery designed for lightweight installations and short urban commutes; integrates with all A Fond Gaston motor kits.
• Batterie Polly 470 Wh Mid-capacity 470 Wh 'Polly' rear-rack-style battery offering extended range for daily commuters and tour-style riders.
• Batterie Polly 630 Wh High-capacity 630 Wh 'Polly' rear-rack battery providing maximum range for long-distance commuters, touring cyclists, and heavy cargo use.
• Kit Complet (Complete Conversion Kit) All-in-one VAE conversion bundle pairing a selected motor and battery with the controller, display, wiring, and mounting hardware required to electrify a standard bicycle.
• Accessoires (Accessories) Complementary accessories for converted e-bikes, including additional controllers, displays, and related add-ons used by customers to customize or extend their installation.
• Pièces Détachées (Spare Parts) Replacement parts (controllers, displays, connectors, brackets, etc.) for A Fond Gaston kits, sold individually with a 10-year spare parts availability commitment.
• Prestation Transfert (Kit Transfer Service) Paid service in which A Fond Gaston (or its certified installer network) removes an existing conversion kit from one bicycle and reinstalls it on another, supporting the transferable design of the product.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2-4€/100km operating cost vs 15-20€/100km for car
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Certified Installation WorkshopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide network of certified workshops that provide professional kit installation services. A Fond Gaston trains and certifies installers on best practices for electric bike conversion. Installers are cycling experts who can advise customers on compatibility and installation. Customer orders kit online, then schedules installation with local workshop.
• Dealer NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMore than 100 dealers across France who sell A Fond Gaston conversion kits. Dealers benefit from competitive pricing and strong margins while offering customers local access to products and expertise. A Fond Gaston maintains reliable stock and assembly capabilities to support dealer network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cytronex: UK e-bike conversion kit specialist selling universal C1 kit for bikes. Direct competitor in retrofit electrification with comparable customer profile (existing-bike owners, commuters) and lightweight system positioning.
• Swytch: UK-based direct-to-consumer e-bike conversion kit company selling universal and Brompton-specific kits. Closest head-to-head competitor to A Fond Gaston: same DTC + installer channel mix, same end-customer, same product category (retrofit kits transforming existing bikes into e-bikes).
• Rubbee: UK-based maker of friction-drive and conversion-kit e-bike systems. Niche direct competitor in retrofit electrification; smaller scale but conceptually identical offering of converting existing bicycles to electric.
• Bafang: China-based manufacturer of e-bike motors, batteries, and complete conversion kits (including BBSHD/BBS02 mid-drive aftermarket kits). Competes with A Fond Gaston on motor technology, conversion-kit pricing, and component supply; broader scale and B2B OEM presence.
• Pendix: German manufacturer of mid-drive e-bike conversion kits (Pendix eDrive) sold through bike dealers and online. Direct competitor in retrofit kits with similar modular, dealer-distributed GTM; adjacent geography (DACH vs France) makes it a comparable business model.

Broad incumbents

• Shimano STEPS: Shimano's e-bike drive system business (STEPS) integrated into OEM bikes across Europe. Not a retrofit competitor directly, but the dominant OEM e-bike system whose installed base competes for the same commuter/road cyclist customer.
• Bosch eBike Systems: Division of Bosch supplying integrated e-bike drive systems (Active Line, Performance Line) to major bike OEMs across Europe. Incumbent in e-bike motors but OEM-only — does not sell retrofit kits; comparable as competitor for end-customer attention and as the standard against which mid-drive tech is benchmarked.

Emerging players

• Yuba Bicycles: US-based cargo bike OEM (Yuba Kombi, Boda Boda, etc.) whose Kombi model A Fond Gaston sells pre-electrified. Partner-adjacent relationship — Yuba's brand and cargo-bike expertise combined with A Fond Gaston's kit creates an emerging bundled offer in the e-cargo segment.
• O2feel: French e-bike manufacturer selling complete e-bikes through a network of 300+ resellers in France. Comparable geography and channel model to A Fond Gaston but competes as new e-bike OEM rather than retrofit, making it a substitute (not direct) competitor for the same French cyclist.
• Tongsheng (TSDZ2): Chinese manufacturer of the TSDZ2 open-source mid-drive conversion kit popular with DIY e-bike builders. Competes with A Fond Gaston in mid-drive retrofit, especially among self-installers, though typically without CE/EN15194 certification or installer support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@afondgaston_officiel
• Facebookfacebook.com/projetafondgaston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afondgaston
• Instagraminstagram.com/afondgaston_officiel

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about a fond gaston